Tag: safety

Over the past few years, our forging operations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have been working vigorously to improve product quality and deliveries. As you have seen with our In-Stock Guarantee, we remain committed to manufacturing the highest quality products in the market, stocking over 275 of our most popular chain and forged rigging attachment products and guaranteeing to ship them in 3 business days.

As part of this commitment to quality, we implemented some changes that resulted in even higher quality shackles. These changes include larger CM shackle markings and a new shackle pin design.

Enhanced Shackle Identification Markings

The forged identification markings on our CM shackles are now the largest and most user-friendly on the market. The lettering has draft and rounded edges for use with synthetics. Some of the benefits of the larger and more legible lettering are:

Old Shackle SizeNew Shackle Size

Improved operator safety by reducing the risk of users misreading or not being able to read important size and WLL information.

Reduction in replacement costs by decreasing necessary out-of-service issues due to worn and illegible identification.

Easier identification of the product as a CM shackle with a larger CM logo forged into the side.

Old Shackle LogoNew Shackle Logo

New Pins

We have also changed the shackle pins on our Screw Pin Anchor shackles (SPA) to provide more efficient thread fitting inside and outside of the shackle.

New High Strength Pin

Both the enhanced ID markings and the new pins are now on all shackles we ship today. We will continue to look for even more ways to improve the safety and durability of our shackles, to ensure we are providing the highest quality products to our customers.

This article was originally posted on June 13, 2013. Updates were made on April 6, 2017 to keep our information current.

February 19, 2015 Today, we are posting updates to this blog article on sling regulations originally posted in 2011. This article continues to be one of our most visited, and we feel it our duty to keep this very important safety information up to date.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has the following regulations for slings:

1910.184 (general industry)

1915.122

1915.113

1915.118 (for shipyard employment)

1926.251 (construction)

Effective June 8, 2011, all slings, chain, synthetic & wire rope, are required to have identification tags/labels permanently attached to them. This sling regulation applies to slings sold and used in the United States.

Historically, companies did not require wire rope slings to have permanently affixed identification tags/labels on them; it was not required per OSHA 1910.184. This has since changed. Tags/labels are now required.

Also, original load capacity tables found in the OSHA standards were based on information found in ASME B30.9 dating back to 1971. New tables reflect the current industry standards for working load limits for slings, chain, and synthetic or wire rope.

Changes include:

All load charts for slings have been updated to current industry standards.

All slings, regardless if made of chain, wire rope or synthetic, must be marked with a tag/label. Now only properly tagged/labeled slings can be used.

Slings with detached tags/labels must be removed from service until new tags/labels can be permanently reattached.

To view the OSHA changes made in 2011 in its entirety or to download a copy click here.

Throughout Columbus McKinnon’s 140 year history, safety has always been an important part of the way we do business. Not only is the safety of our Associates important, but the safety of our customers is also a primary focus in the development of our products, services and training programs.

In the spirit of our focus on safety, we kicked off our second annual Safety Calendar Contest last year. We asked the children and grandchildren of our Associates around the world to submit drawings on the theme of “Safety at Work, Home or Play.” The children truly took this contest to heart and we received nearly 100 entries from 14 of our locations in 10 countries around the world. The entries we received were quite creative!

We asked an artist from Buffalo, N.Y., C. Mari Pack, to choose 15 winners and 16 runners-up that would be featured in the 2015 calendar. Judging was based on originality, artistic merit and expression of the safety theme.

In addition to creating great artwork, it is encouraging to see the safety messages our children are expressing. As the future workforce, it is important to instill a safety-conscious work ethic in children at a young age.

It’s our goal at Columbus McKinnon to help our customers lift, position and secure items in a safe and productive way. Throughout 2015 and into the coming years, we will continue to focus on safety and help our customers meet this goal. Happy New Year to all of you. Stay tuned for more great articles on material handling product safety, training courses and other helpful topics to keep you working safe all year long.

This post was written by Laura Miller, former Corporate Health & Safety Manager for Columbus McKinnon Corporation.

Each month, the Columbus McKinnon training team hosts a free online safety webinar. We will not be holding a webinar in December, but to keep you focused on safety during this holiday break, we had a little fun making a video featuring five important tips to get you through the season safely.

We hope to see you in January, when our monthly safety webinars return with
“Hoist Chain Lubrication: Why is it so Important?” Register now.

Need a stocking stuffer idea?
Order the complete set of Safety Webinars!
We’ve compiled all of our 2014 recorded webinars on one convenient USB thumb drive. As an added bonus, we have also included all of our 2013 Safety Webinars.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will be hosting a conference and exhibition in Buffalo, New York from September 14-17 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Their mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers.

Everyone who stops by our Booth #12 and drops off their business card will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a 3/4 ton Bandit hoist. Henry Brozyna, CMCO Corporate Trainer, will also be at the booth to answer any questions you may have.

Interested in attending? You can register here. We hope to see you there!

In the entertainment industry, rigging can be both a challenging and dangerous task. To help provide entertainment professionals with hands-on rigging experience, Robert Lannon of RPL Building Services, LLC, kicked off his first Rigging Climbing Camp in June of this year. Sponsored by Atlanta Rigging Systems and held at Southeastern Rope Access Training Facilities in Atlanta, Georgia, the three-day course was designed to teach basic climbing, rigging and aerial platform operation to entertainment professionals to prepare them for real-world rigging scenarios.

“Most of the riggers I know had no training whatsoever the first time they stepped out on a beam, pulled a point or drove a lift,” said Dave Gittens of Atlanta Rigging Systems. “The first place a rigger performs any of those tasks should not be in an arena roof structure. That was the motivation for this class.”

Twelve entertainment professionals attended the camp, including myself and CMCO’s Entertainment Business Development Specialist, Jennifer O’Leary. We kicked off the training by first discussing personal protective equipment, including harnesses, lanyards and helmets, as well as fall protection, structure climbing and beam walking. We also learned rope access techniques, including ascending, changeovers, descending and edge negotiations.

Other critical skills covered during the hands-on training included:

Utilizing motor control systems

Moving trusses

Rope management

Rescue pick offs from a structure

Aerial platform operation, including scissor and boom lifts

Using a 30 foot truss supplied by Atlanta Rigging, we pulled together everything we learned to conduct beam walks, climb a wire rope ladder, use horizontal life lines and rappel from the top of the structure. As we got more comfortable navigating the structure, product and tasks, you could see everyone push themselves and gain confidence in their skills.

Columbus McKinnon rigging training is a perfect complement to Rigging Climbing Camp, educating attendees on rigging fundamentals, safety practices, regulations and inspection techniques. When paired with the hands-on experience provided by the Rigging Climbing Camp, entertainment professionals will have a well-rounded understanding of proper rigging practices as well as real-life rigging situations and challenges encountered at entertainment venues.

To see our full selection of material handling products for the entertainment industry, visit www.cm-et.com.

Our entertainment trainer, Dave Carmack, travels the world to teach and share important information about entertainment rigging and hoisting safety. At the end of his classes, he likes to stump his students with this question: “Can you tell me why we spell our hoist, LODESTAR, instead of LOADSTAR?”

Dave was asked this question many years ago by a student, which prompted him to do some research. Reaching out to Columbus McKinnon engineers, Dave finally found the answer.

“Lodestar” is defined as a guiding star. In 1955, when the first industrial Lodestar was introduced, many of our hoists had galactic names like Meteor, Satellite, and Comet. It was the first of many unique products that Columbus McKinnon brought to the material handling industry, which also included aluminum hoist frames, the Weston-Type brake, and the first alloy chain.
In a recent CM-ET class, Jamie, a CMCO training course attendee from Canton, Michigan wrote this answer:

“A Lodestar is one that serves as an inspiration, model or guide. The Lodestar hoist was engineered and designed to be a leader and model in the entertainment industry.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Want to learn more about entertainment motors? In case you missed it, here is a link to the recording for the session noted below. This is one you won’t want to miss!

There is some confusion in the industry regarding crane configurations and the application of OSHA regulations. In a recent article in Industrial Lift & Hoist Magazine, Tom Reardon, one of Columbus McKinnon’s training managers, discusses the issue and provides clarification for crane users.

OSHA 1910.179(a)(1) states that “A ‘crane’ is a machine for lifting and lowering a load or moving it horizontally…” As most overhead cranes can fit into this description, they tend to get grouped together and are assumed to be subject to OSHA’s regulations. This is not the case.

OSHA 1910.179(b)(1) defines the types of cranes that fall under its regulations –these regulations do not apply to underhung cranes, overhead hoists or monorails, which are covered by ANSI B30.11 and ANSI B30.16. As a general rule, if both the crane bridge and trolley hoist travel on top of a rail or equivalent, the crane is subject to OSHA 1910.179 regulations. If any load-bearing member of a crane or monorail travels on an internal or external lower flange or equivalent, it is not subject to OSHA regulations.

Even though these types of cranes are not regulated by OSHA 1910.179, ASME and ANSI both have standards regarding the construction, installation, maintenance, inspection and safety of these cranes. OSHA may use the standards set forth by organizations like ANSI and ASME to regulate these cranes under its general duty clause. OSHA will issue a General Duty Citation for serious circumstances where employees are exposed to hazards that present a substantial probability of death or serious injury.

Therefore, when using cranes, it is important to understand the regulations your specific crane falls under and the steps you need to take to ensure your employees are safe and your crane is in proper working order. To read Tom’s full article regarding this topic, visit ILH online.

Crane & Rigging Hot Line recently published an article on plate clamp inspection and operation based on a presentation given by one of Columbus McKinnon’s corporate trainers, Chris Zgoda, at the ACRP Conference in San Antonio, TX. Below are a few of the highlights:

Plate Clamp Operation
Plate clamps are most often used to lift and move steel plates from both horizontal and vertical positions. CM’s clamps operate through a self-actuating spring that engages when the clamp is attached to a plate. When using plate clamps, it is important that the load is close to the clamp’s working load limit – weighing no less than 20 percent of the clamp’s working load limit.

Inspecting a Plate ClampLifting clamps are just like any other piece of machinery and therefore require frequent inspection and maintenance. Clamps should be inspected every one to four weeks, depending on frequency of use. Plate clamps should be degreased and cleaned regularly and should be lubricated as needed to ensure smooth operation. When inspecting clamps it is important to check the teeth, handle, shell plates and other components like bolts, nuts and chain.

During my training sessions, I am frequently asked if hoist hooks can be repaired if they are damaged or broken. OSHA and ASME regulations provide specific requirements for hoist hook repair to help answer this question.

According to OSHA 1910.179 (L)(3)(iii)(A), hook repairs by welding or reshaping are not generally recommended. If such repairs are attempted they shall be done under competent supervision and the hook shall be load tested before further use.

While OSHA 1910.179 specifically pertains to a crane with top-running girders and top-running trolleys, it states that hook repair is allowed under certain conditions.

On the other hand, ASME B-30.10 Section 10-1.3 (d) states that “attachments, such as handles, latch supports, etc. shall not be welded to a finished hook in field applications. If welding of an attachment such as these is required, it shall be done in manufacturing or fabrication prior to any required final heat treatment.”

So the question remains, can hoist hooks be repaired?

Typically hoist hooks are forgings processed from hot-rolled alloy steel blanks of medium carbon content, such as grade AISI 4140. Hooks can be used in the “as forged” condition or further enhanced by thermal processing (heat treatment). Although fatigue strength improves with heat treatment, there is a resulting loss of ductility and elongation.

A repair that involves welding or any kind of heat treatment can affect the strength and ratings of a hook and therefore is not recommended.

Keep in mind, when a hook is damaged or broken, it can be an indicator that the hoist was overloaded, in which case the entire unit should be inspected for other damages.

In addition to referencing OSHA and ANSI requirements for hook repair, we also recommend that you always contact the manufacturer before making any questionable repairs on their products.